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Fulton County, Illinois
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 38,250. Its county seat is Lewistown, Illinois . Canton is the largest city. Both cities are southwest of Peoria, and the county is considered a part of the wider Peoria Consolidated Statistical Area. The Canton Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Fulton County. George Hall is the Chairman of the Fulton County Board and a former Board member since 2007, hired as Chairman by the Board in December 2010. Mike Hays is the County Administrator, hired in October 2009. History Fulton County was organized in 1823 from Pike County. It is named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat. It was the home of famous poet/writer Edgar Lee Masters in his early days; he wrote the famous Spoon River Anthology (1915). Fulton County was home to Camp Ellis during World War II. The county is known for the annual Spoon River Scenic Drive which occurs the first 2 weekends in October. This has been a tradition since 1968 and attracts thousands of participants from all over the country. File:Fulton County Illinois 1823.png|Fulton County between 1823 and 1825, including a large tract of unorganized territory temporarily attached.White, Jesse. Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties. State of Illinois, March 2010. http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/ipub15.pdf File:Fulton County Illinois 1825.png|Fulton County in 1825, reduced to its current size, its unorganized territory formed into new counties. Geography According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 98.08%) is land and (or 1.92%) is water. The largest city in the county is Canton and the smallest is Marbletown which contains 1 house. (U.S.Census Bureau) Fulton County is the site of Dickson Mounds Museum, a state museum of Native American daily life in the Illinois River valley. Adjacent counties *Knox County - north *Peoria County - northeast *Tazewell County - east *Mason County - south *Schuyler County - southwest *McDonough County - west *Warren County - northwest National protected area * Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge Transportation Major highways * US Route 24 * US Route 136 * Illinois Route 9 * Illinois Route 41 * Illinois Route 78 * Illinois Route 95 * Illinois Route 97 * Illinois Route 100 * Illinois Route 116 Airport The county contains one public-use airport: Ingersoll Airport (CTK), located in Canton.Public and Private Airports, Fulton County, Illinois Settlements Cities |-valign="top" | *Canton *Cuba | *Farmington *Lewistown |} Villages |-valign="top" | *Astoria *Avon *Banner *Bryant *Dunfermline *Ellisville | *Fairview *Ipava *Liverpool *London Mills *Marietta | *Norris *Smithfield *St. David *Table Grove *Vermont |} Unincorporated |-valign="top" | * Babylon * Beaty * Bernadotte * Blyton * Breeds * Brereton * Checkrow * Depler Springs | * Duncan Mills * Enion * Fiatt * Gilchrist * Leesburg * Little America * Manley * Maples Mill | * Marbletown * Middlegrove * Monterey * Poverty Ridge * Rawalts * Sepo * Seville * Summum |} Townships Fulton County is divided into twenty-six townships: Political districts * Illinois' 17th congressional district * State House District 91 * State House District 94 * State Senate District 46 * State Senate District 47 Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 38,250 people, 14,877 households, and 10,250 families residing in the county. The population density was 44 people per square mile (17/km²). There were 16,240 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.12% White, 3.60% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 1.25% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.9% were of German, 22.0% American, 13.4% English and 10.0% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 98.1% spoke English and 1.2% Spanish as their first language. There were 14,877 households out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.50% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.90. In the county the population was spread out with 22.00% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 18.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 105.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $33,952, and the median income for a family was $41,193. Males had a median income of $31,800 versus $21,223 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,373. About 7.30% of families and 9.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.30% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over. Climate and weather }} In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Lewistown have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of was recorded in July 1983. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May. See also *National Register of Historic Places listings in Fulton County, Illinois References * United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles * United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS) * United States National Atlas External links * Illinois State Archives * Illinois Saving Graves: Fulton Co. Category:Counties of Illinois Category:Established in 1823 Category:Fulton County, Illinois